Our People
Our Staff

Jenny brings over 12 years of experience in graphic design, web design, social media marketing, and public relations. Jenny is a graduate of both University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s in Arts Administration and Bluegrass Community & Technical College with an Associate’s in Information Management & Design. When she isn’t working or spending time with her husband and son, she enjoys outdoor distance roller skating, cooking, bullet journaling, web design, and photography.
CONTACT: jenny@bggreensource.org

Chris has a passion for protecting the environment and educating about everything outdoors. Originally from Grayson, KY he has spent almost 20 years in the outdoor education field focusing on program development, community engagement and nonprofit operations. Over the years, Chris served on the board of directors for a local non profit, organized dozens of community events, operated 2 different summer camp programs, facilitated countless workshops focused on environmental & outdoor education, is project wet & wild certified, and he is the former challenge course manager for Georgetown College & Life Adventure Center. Combined with his most recent role as the outreach coordinator and instructor for Canoe Ky, Chris’ experience gives him the unique skills necessary to to be successful in this role.
CONTACT: chrish@bggreensource.org

Jadyn comes to us as our AmeriCorps VISTA member. She is a recent graduate from Eastern Kentucky University, with a degree in Biology, focusing on Environmental Education and Outdoor experiences. Native to Harlan County, KY, she often associates her love for nature to growing up in Appalachia and a love of Steve Irwin, “The Crocodile Hunter,” who instilled a passion for animals and the environment when she was a child. Today, her inspiration comes from a desire to bring Environmental Education to Appalachia, one of the most biodiverse places in North America. “From a scientific perspective, those mountains are ancient and special, and I didn’t know it until I was in college. The environment there is also in danger, and I think if more Appalachians knew how special their home was and felt empowered to take care of it, it could make a lot of difference in the communities there.” In her free time, Jadyn loves to play with her cats, look for frogs, and collect strange antiques and knick-knacks: “If it’s weird or seems cursed, I’d like to have it on my shelf.”
CONTACT: jadyn@bggreensource.org

Rachel is one of our Environmental Educators. She is a graduate of Transylvania University with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. In addition to her classes at Transylvania, Rachel coordinated litter cleanups of the surrounding area and spent many hours in local schools. She has worked at the Lexmark Center for Children and in Fayette County Public Schools with elementary school students. Rachel enjoys spending her free time kayaking and hiking with her husband and dog.
CONTACT: rachel@bggreensource.org

Maxine has been with Bluegrass Greensource since 2004. She was the Education Coordinator for two years before taking on the role of Education Director, then Deputy Director. Before joining Greensource, Maxine was a teacher in London, Kentucky for 28 years. She attended Eastern Kentucky University where she earned a teaching certificate in Biology and Chemistry. She also has certifications in Supervision K-12 and Secondary Principalship. Maxine’s responsibilities at Greensource are to oversee compliance with contracts and grant funding, develop new environmental programs, and organize activities with the county liaisons in our service area. Maxine has two grandchildren and a cat. Contact Maxine with questions about environmental education in Central Kentucky and Greensource’s administration.
CONTACT: maxine@bggreensource.org

Kara is one of our Environmental Educators and the Rain Garden Project Coordinator. Her background is in Environmental Science and she holds a B.A. with a focus on Ecological Design and Sustainable Agriculture from The Evergreen State College. Kara chose to become an environmental educator because some of her fondest childhood memories are from observing tadpole ponds near her home: “Seeing a small tadpole transform into an adult frog was not only amazing but it sparked this lifelong desire to learn about nature.”
CONTACT: kara@bggreensource.org

Rebecca serves Bluegrass Greensource as a Finance Officer on a part-time basis. She is an accounting graduate of California State University, Fullerton, and holds an MBA from California State University, San Marcos. She brings to the organization over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting management with a variety of industries including government, manufacturing, and healthcare. After spending most of her working years in San Diego, Rebecca has recently relocated to Kentucky to become a full-time farmer, but maintains an intellectual interest in accounting. She and her husband spend most of their days on their farm in Estill County with their many dogs, cats, chickens and ducks; and they are devoted to improving the land and living a self-sufficient lifestyle.
CONTACT: rebecca@bggreensource.org

Alex brings 5+ years of sustainability and energy expertise and is committed to using those skills to help our community thrive. Most recently as a Sustainability Solutions Architect, he helped Fortune 500 companies develop sustainability strategies and reach ambitious climate targets. Before that, he designed and sold solar installations around Kentucky.
Alex loves using his background in engineering to help people understand complex
issues and take action to improve their lives and their community. He lives in Lexington with his partner and their small zoo (two dogs, a cat, and six chickens). If he’s not walking around the legacy trail or at home with a stack of books, you’ll find him at a local bookstore looking for the latest edition to the stack.

Pattie works with PreK-12 schools and also coordinates community outreach activities and volunteer opportunities. She attended Eastern Kentucky University where she majored in Occupational Therapy. Pattie developed a passion for nurturing the environment as a young child watching television! The Crying Indian PSA developed by Keep America Beautiful opened her eyes to the negative impact that humans can have on the earth. Litter cleanups are some of her favorite activities. Contact Pattie with questions about environmental education in area schools, or to schedule an event in Fayette County.
CONTACT: pattie@bggreensource.org

Amy has been with Bluegrass Greensource since the beginning. She started at its inception and became Executive Director in 2006. She has a background in environmental education and a degree in Natural Resource Conservation and Management, but spends most of her days on program development and people/money management. Though she misses being in actual contact with the environment, she has come to enjoy managing the great staff and working with our community partners. When not at work, Amy likes to play nature hunter with her two daughters at their home near the Kentucky River Palisades. Contact Amy with questions about Bluegrass Greensource’s administration and program development.
CONTACT: amy@bggreensource.org
JOIN OUR TEAM!
Do you want to be a part of helping us continue to build a more sustainable Bluegrass? Then WE WANT YOU! Learn more about our volunteer opportunities and job openings or if you have questions, please contact us!
Our Board
General Counsel, Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet
Jacob currently serves in the administration of the 61st Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, as Deputy General Counsel for the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet. He serves in Cabinet leadership and advises the Cabinet’s ten divisions and departments with respect to legal matters. Jacob is a graduate of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, and the University of Tennessee College of Law. He lives in Lexington with his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Madelyn.
Director of the Division of Conservation, Commonwealth of Kentucky – Energy & Environment Cabinet
Paulette Akers was appointed by Governor Matt Bevin as the Director of the Kentucky Division of Conservation in 2018. As director, she provides support for the Kentucky Soil and Water Conservation Commission and the Agriculture Water Quality Authority. The Division is also charged with providing assistance to the Conservation District boards and distributing state cost share funds for agricultural best management practices across the state.
Paulette began her career with the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection in the Division of Water, working in the Water Quality and Watershed Management Branches for 13 years before moving to Compliance Assistance in the fall of 2014. She served as the Assistant Director of the Division of Compliance Assistance until she was appointed as Director in the fall of 2016.
Paulette is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University where she earned a B.S. degree in Biology and an M.S. degree in Applied Ecology. Paulette lives in Woodford County, Kentucky with her husband and two sons.
Director of Advancement, Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center
After growing up in Versailles, Heather graduated from UK’s Martin School of Public Policy & Administration. During her time there, she became an intern at Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center. Now, Heather lives in Georgetown and still works for Ampersand. Her focus is in grant writing, development, program management, and administrative leadership. Heather came to Bluegrass Greensource as a volunteer, but saw a clear link between her expertise in nonprofit leadership and her passion for the mission, leading her to the Board of Directors.
CPA and Partner, MCM CPAs & Advisors
Debbie has been with MCM for more than 18 years and has more than 20 years of public accounting experience. Her focus and concentration includes external audit procedures, reviews, consulting, and internal control and system reviews within the governmental, non-profit, manufacturing, and financial institutions industries. Debbie is responsible for planning, supervising, and overseeing the completion of assurance engagements for MCM’s Lexington office.
Treasury Management Officer, Vice President, PNC Corporate & Institutional Banking
Keleigh is a Treasury Officer PNC Bank where she specializes in designing and implementing treasury solutions. Keleigh has experience working with nonprofit organization of all sizes, government institutions, public universities, as well as privately and publicly held companies. She also serves as Executive Treasurer at the Living Arts and Science Center and volunteers her time on the Family Resource Youth Service Center parent teacher committee as Board Chair for Meadowthorpe and Sandersville Elementary. She has also proudly served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer. Keleigh is married to Brian Arnett and has 3 children, Beau, age 10, Esme, age 8, and Grace, age 18. The Arnett’s enjoy spending their spare time in the outdoors, camping and traveling particularly in the beautiful state of Kentucky.
Sustainability Manager, Alltech
In his role, he helps set the company’s sustainability commitments and goals. He also ensures that Alltech continually finds innovative ways to be more sustainable across the more than 120 countries in which it operates. Butler previously worked in the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection on the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. He also runs a renewable energy and sustainability podcast called Clean Power Planet, and he founded a solar energy activism community called Solar Kentucky. Prior to his role as sustainability manager, he was the digital marketing manager at Alltech for more than nine years. He built the company’s online visibility through search engine optimization, social media interaction, and content marketing. Butler received bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental geoscience from the University of Kentucky. He also received a master’s degree in geochemistry from the University of Kentucky. His graduate research focused on bioremediation of chlorinated solvents in wetland soils.
Dentons Bingham Greenebaum
As an attorney with Dentons Bingham Greenebaum since 2000, she has advised businesses and other clients on a broad range of Kentucky and federal environmental law compliance, permitting and litigation issues. She currently serves on the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Energy and Environment Policy Council and also serves on the Board for the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, a non-profit statewide land trust committed to preserving wildlands, large forest tracts and migratory corridors. In the past, she has served as chair of the Natural Resources Law Section of the Kentucky Bar Association. Kelly lives in downtown Lexington with her husband and two children.
Patient Experience Manager, UK HealthCare
After a 14 year career in philanthropy for Kentucky Children’s Hospital, Angela recently accepted a role as Patient Experience Manager at UK HealthCare managing the Patient, Parent and Family Advisor Councils. In addition to being an avid gardener, she is passionate about sustainability and conservation. Angela lives in Lexington with her husband John and their two dogs.
Administrative Project Manager, VisitLEX
Arin works as a project manager at VisitLEX, the city’s destination marketing organization. She currently serves as the chair for Keep Lexington Beautiful, sits on the Young Leaders Advisory Council for Keep America Beautiful, and sits on the United States Travel Association’s Sustainability Coalition. She works on sustainability in tourism in Lexington and the Bluegrass Region. After growing up in Danville, Arin received a bachelor’s degree in History and French and received her master’s degree in History. She and her husband live in downtown Lexington and spend their vacations trying to visit all the National Parks.
President Emeritus, Bluegrass Community and Technical College and President, Julian-Carver Family Foundation, Inc.
Dr. Augusta A. Julian served for more than 40 years in community college education. She started her career in her native North Carolina teaching developmental education at Durham Technical Community College. Dr. Julian later moved to Madison, WI as a vice president at the college there. She served as president of Maysville Community and Technical College in Kentucky for six years and headed Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) for 11 years. BCTC had seven campuses, more than 45 programs of study, and significant online offerings during her tenure. Campus development took up much of her time resulting in seven building and renovation projects including the new and repurposed Newtown Campus in Lexington. Dr. Julian earned an M.Ed. at UNC-Chapel Hill and a Doctorate in Adult and Community College Education from NC State University. She retired in 2018 and now runs a small family foundation that supports higher education.
Manager of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance, Kentucky American Water
Robert “Bob” Money is manager of water quality and environmental compliance for Kentucky American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility in Kentucky and a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water. Based in Lexington, Bob oversees the company’s water quality department and team of water quality experts, is responsible for all water quality testing, monitoring, reporting, and environmental regulation compliance and environmental stewardship efforts.
Prior to joining Kentucky American Water, Bob served as a senior associate and branch manager with Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions. A licensed professional geologist, Money has led various environmental projects in the public and private sectors throughout his career, which spans more than 30 years, including compliance audits, commercial and industrial property assessments, field investigations, remediation implementation efforts and permit application preparation.
A native of Larue County., Ky., Money received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the University of Kentucky and holds a professional geologist license in Kentucky, Indiana and Virginia. Money resides in Lexington, Ky., with his wife and two children.
Born and raised in the Bluegrass, Jenny Howard Owen is passionate about reconnecting her fellow Kentuckians to their local environment. Within the past 20 years, her work in environmental education has taken her from the savannahs of central Africa (via Peace Corps), along the shores of VA and NC (with US Fish & Wildlife Service), and back home to the Bluegrass State, with Lake Barkley State Park, KY Division of Water, KY Dept of Education, and the KY Association for Environmental Education. In her current position, she organizes education programs for and with farmers interested in regenerative organic practices. Jenny, her husband Jacob, and their son Birch live, plant, and play in the rolling countryside of Anderson County.
Kyle began working for Davis & Plomin Mechanical as he pursued his academic degrees, working in the field to gain knowledge of the mechanical construction processes. After graduating from the University of Kentucky in the fall of 2010, Kyle was accepted into the University of Washington’s Master of Science in Construction Management Program in 2011. He completed this program in 2012, obtaining his master’s degree in Construction Management. Kyle currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky and is a LEED Green Associate by the US Green Building Council. Kyle Oversees the design and estimating departments and manages several design-build projects.
Municipal & Public Sector Specialist, Rumpke
For the past 17 years, Frances has been employed by Rumpke Waste & Recycling in the Bluegrass Region. The first 14 years, Frances handled all construction and roll-off container services for the area. Since 2019, she has been the Municipal and Public Sector Specialist for Central and Southeastern Kentucky. She covers 27 counties, working with government officials on finding environmentally conscientious and beneficial waste and recycling services for their communities. She is active in her area working community events and enjoys providing education on ways to divert materials away from landfills. Frances is an animal lover and is active in fostering and transporting dogs and cats from rural Ky shelters, making sure they are healthy and happy and ready for adoption. She is a also a board member of Downtown People Inc, an organization that provides warm meals to the less fortunate in Lexington.
Frances is originally from Olive Hill Ky and a Morehead State University alumni. She currently lives in Lexington with her son and daughter and her many critters.
Manager – Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability at Lexmark International, Inc.
Phillip is born and raised in the bluegrass state and has split his life between the small towns of Western Kentucky and the “city life” of Lexington, starting with and continuing after graduation from the University of Kentucky. Phillip received an undergraduate and graduate degree in Chemical Engineering from UK, where his research focused on utilizing scrap tire rubber for the remediation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater. Phillip joined Lexmark in 2000 and has managed technical teams in Research & Development before recently joined the Quality, Compliance, and Sustainability organization. Phillip is an avid kayaker in his free time and understands first hand the value in protecting, conserving, and restoring our headwaters. He is a two-time volunteer of the month with a national river conservation non-profit. Phillip lives in Lexington and is married with three small children.
Nonprofit Management Consultant and Rock Climber
Before becoming involved with advocacy, social justice and nonprofit management, Shannon spent fifteen years in the thoroughbred racehorse industry riding and training. Growing up in a military family she lived all over the U.S. and overseas before permanently settling in Lexington in 1986 after graduating from UCLA to attend UK Law School.
An outdoor enthusiast, avid rock climber and dedicated vegan Shannon has always been interested in the outdoors and environmental sustainability. In 1996 Shannon started a rock climbing advocacy nonprofit dedicated to securing access to climbing and protecting the environment as its Founder-Executive Director. Since then, she has served on numerous local and national nonprofit boards before starting her own consulting company, Free Agent for Change, LLC with special emphasis on strategic planning, board development and capacity building for social justice and civil rights nonprofit organizations.
Today Shannon is retired from being a paid consultant instead offers her expertise pro bono to small nonprofits while she now pursues climbing full time at her beloved Red River Gorge with her spouse and two dogs.
Manager, Resource and Renewable Planning, East Kentucky Power Cooperative
Fernie Williams, a 26 year employee with EKPC, currently provides analytical studies for resource planning, particularly long term power supply needs, with a focus on renewable resources. In addition to supporting the cooperative’s six landfill gas to energy projects and hydro resources, Fernie provides assistance for small power producer projects to the sixteen member cooperatives, with the most interest currently in solar.
Our Service Region
We primarily serve a 20 county region surrounding Fayette County, Kentucky. We work with teachers in local schools, co-host events and programs, and offer workshops within this region. Please contact us for information on specific county programs within our service region, or visit our event calendar to stay up-to-date!

